It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Beverly Manes, an active Council 4 member, local president, and Retiree Chapter member. She was 75 years old.

Beverly worked as Assistant Tax Collector for Litchfield and served as President of Local 1303-392 (Litchfield Town Employees). For nearly a decade she also served as Trustee of the Council 4 Retirees Chapter. As a Retiree Chapter member she assisted with Council 4’s Lobby Day, retiree holiday parties and worked closely with the Connecticut Alliance for Retired Americans (CT ARA). Beverly, along with her husband Joe, were active members of Council 4’s PEOPLE Committee and spent countless hours helping interview political candidates for endorsement. In 2017, they were awarded the Council 4 PEOPLE Person of the Year Award for their legislative and political activism. In 2019, they were awarded the Kevin Lynch Award for their activism in retirement by the CT ARA. For two decades Beverly served on the Council 4 Veterans’ Committee since its formation where she assisted with the annual outing event by supporting set-up, food preparation, and designing the annual T-Shirt. Beverly will be remembered as a staunch unionist who embodied AFSCME’s Never Quit spirit through and through.

Tom Ledoux, President Council 4 Retiree Chapter, reflected on Beverly’s impact. “Bev was a dear and close friend who will be missed. Her institutional knowledge of our union is irreplaceable. Her commitment to and involvement with our Retiree Chapter was unsurpassed. You could count on her for anything.”

Dave Dumaine, Chair Emeritus of the PEOPLE Statewide Steering Committee said the following about Beverly’s political activism: “Beverly and Joe will always be remembered as champions of organized labor, AFSCME specifically, and the progressive political movement. Beverly would always bring a freshly baked batch of cookies or brownies to our evening PEOPLE meetings. The 5th Congressional District will miss her dearly. Rest in peace Beverly.”

Megan Batchelder, Council 4 Executive Assistant, worked closely with Beverly on the Veterans’ Committee. “She was one of the most kind, gracious, exceptional people I’ve known. When she talked about the union she was fierce about it. She believed in the labor movement and she always saw the good in people. She was a guiding force and her oatmeal-raisin cookies were the best.”